Pippa Ross
Philippa "Pippa" Routledge (also Fletcher, Ross and King) is the daughter of Bert and Coral King. She's the wife of Tom Fletcher, Michael Ross and Ian Routledge. She's the mother of Christopher Fletcher and the adoptive mother of Sally Fletcher. She's also the stepmother of Michael's son, Haydn Ross. She and two of her husbands, Tom and Michael had fostered many children, like Sally, Carly Morris, Steven Matheson, Bobby Simpson, Frank Morgan, Lynn Davenport, Sam Marshall, Damian Roberts, Jack Wilson and Shannon Reed. Storylines Pippa is the daughter of Bert and Coral King. Pippa married her brother Danny's army mate Tom Fletcher in 1969 and they foster Frank Morgan in 1978 after his parents Les and Helena are incapable of looking after him. As time passes they take in more children from various homes and institutions; Carly Morris, Lynn Davenport, Sally Keating and Steven Matheson. Tom is retrenched in early 1988 and the family leave the city and relocate to Summer Bay and buy the local Caravan Park from Alf Stewart. Local troublemaker Bobby Simpson causes problems for the family by picking fights with Carly. After Bobby is cleared of several crimes, The Fletchers agree to foster her, much to ire of their neighbour, Donald Fisher. Pippa takes a part-time job at Ailsa Hogan's general store and later discovers she is pregnant, despite Tom having a vasectomy. This is a concern as Pippa had rheumatic fever as a child, it weakened her heart and doctors warned her that she should not have children. Danny visits for ANZAC Day as he and Tom both served in the Vietnam War. He asks Pippa to help him commit suicide as he was left in a wheelchair from the war, which she refuses. Danny later gains a new lease on life and leaves. Pippa then gives birth to a son, Christopher and a christening is held. Pippa and Tom later adopt Sally. When Tom suffers a heart attack and is hospitalized for several weeks, Pippa begins to feel the strain. Coral visits and offers to help out physically and financially. It soon emerges that Coral is shoplifting and she tells Pippa she misses the standard of living prior to Bert's retirement. When Tom recovers and returns home, He accuses Pippa of having an affair with local shark Hunter Zac Burgess and their marriage undergoes a testing time but they manage to put it behind them. Pippa is left devastated when Tom suffers a second heart attack and dies. Michael Ross arrives in Summer Bay several months later and Pippa is clearly attracted to him but feels guilty as Tom has only been dead a few months. Despite resistance from Sally and Michael's son Haydn Ross, Pippa and Michael marry. Pippa then falls pregnant again and gives birth to another son, Dale. Several months later Dale dies of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). The family are in debt, which is exacerbated further when Michael takes out a loan to pay off Haydn's gambling debts. This leads to arguments and Pippa and Michael separate over Christmas 1994 but reconcile after Sally runs away. In 1996, Michael drowns while trying to save Sam Marshall during a storm which floods the Bay. Pippa then builds up a strong bond with fellow widow Angel Brooks whose husband Shane Parrish had also died several months earlier. Pippa is later awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her years of service as a foster carer. Ian Routledge begins staying at the caravan park and takes an interest in Pippa and wants her to come travelling with him. She declines but when Ian returns a few months later, she accepts his offer and she, Christopher and Ian leave the Bay to live in the Carrington Ranges. Sally later attends their wedding in 1999. The next year Pippa, along with many other past residents, return to Summer Bay for Sally's wedding to Kieran Fletcher. After Sally jilts Kieran, Pippa comforts her. Pippa then sells the house to The Sutherland family before departing. In 2002 Pippa appears on a video with a special message she made for Sally during Summer Bay's 150th anniversary celebrations. The next year, she and Christopher return for Sally's wedding to Flynn Saunders. Two years later she returns for Alf's 60th birthday celebrations. Pippa returns again to comfort Sally, following Flynn's death of cancer and the next year when Sally's wedding to Brad Armstrong fails. Pippa returns twice in 2008, First at Sally's bedside where she meets Sally's long-lost twin brother, Miles Copeland and several months later to help Sally with her departure from Summer Bay. When Irene Roberts leaves on a trip the following year, Alf asks Pippa to look after Geoff and Annie Campbell and she stays for a week.